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Season 1, Episode 62
For Tuesday, April 7, 2014
“Christian Distinctiveness and Dancing”
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Episode Notes:
- Dancing is moving the feet rhythmically to music.
- Is dancing wrong? No, not necessarily. The Bible uses the word “dancing” in at least two senses:
- CELEBRATION – Jumping up and down with joy.
a. Eccl. 3:4 – “A time to mourn, and a time to dance”
b. 1 Chron. 15:29 – “And it happened, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the City of David, that Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David whirling and playing music; and she despised him in her heart.” - DISSIPATION – Men and women interacting in an unholy / impure manner.
a. Exo. 32:19 – Moses observed the worshipers of the gold calf dancing.
b. Mark 6:22 – “And when Hernias’ daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.’ He also swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.’”
- CELEBRATION – Jumping up and down with joy.
- Dancing that involves close bodily contact between unmarried males and females, that involves indecent and suggestive bodily movements and impure handling of a dance partner is wrong.
- Dancing that would cause someone to have impure thoughts and act in impure ways is wrong.
- Consider the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21.
- “Uncleanness” – “Impurity” (NASB, ESV) • Refers to both physical impurity and impure motives.
- “Lewdness” – “Sensuality” (NASB, ESV) • “Lasciviousness” (KJV) • Greek: aselgeia (without restraint)
a. This is conduct that excites lust.
b. Thayer: “Wanton (acts or) manners, as filthy words, indecent bodily movements, unchaste handling of males and females.
c. Eph. 4:19 – “who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” - “Revelries” – “Carousing” (NASB) • “Orgies” (ESV)
a. Thayer: “Feasts and drinking parties that are protracted till late at night and indulge in revelry.”
b. Always used beside “drunkenness” in the NT (Rom. 13:13; 1 Pet. 4:3) - “And the like” – “Think like these” (NASB, ESV) • Greek meaning: “similar, resembling”
